Typewriting machine



sept. 5, 1939.

w. A. DoBsoN TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 14, 1935 Zmnentor WILL/AM A. Dosso/v Gttome s. s E Q Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE TYPEWRITING MACHINE William A. Dobson, Wethersfield, Conn., assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 4 Claims.

This invention relates to line-space and carriage-return levers for typewriters and more particularly to levers of this character having a re*- tractile or foldable linger-piece.

In the class of typewriters wherein portability and compa'ctness are requisite, the line-space and carriage-return lever is operatively mounted near the top of the machine and has a forwardly extending arm, the free end of which is disposed for convenient access to the operator. The lever-arm is equipped with a normally upright finger-piece mounted in such manner as to be readily swung downwardly to reduce the voverall height of the machine to fit into a-carrying case of aminimum i depth,

In typing, the finger-piece of the lever is of course repeatedly engaged' by thengers of the typist, usually in such hasty and carefree manner that the typists fingers may engage or rub against any exposed surfaces of the finger-piece or lever, occasionally resulting in injury due to the presence of exposed screws or other irregular surfaced parts usually required to mount the retractile fingerfpiece on the lever.

The present invention has for its general object the association of a retractile linger-piece with its line-space lever, in amanner to present smooth unbroken contours so as to eliminate any hazards that might cause annoyance or injury to the operator, and toA provide such a construction as will substantially conceal the means for attachment of the linger-piece and lever, thus enhancing the appearance of the device.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

'I'his is a division of applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 128,898, led March 4, 1937. In an earlier and also co-pending application, Serial No. 49,682, filed November 14, 1935, division was required, and the subject matter divided out Was incorporated in the application, Serial No. 128,898. Further division having been required, certain of the subject matter divided out is presented in the present application.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a typewriter including the improved line-space and carriagereturn lever, and

Figure 2 is a detailed perspective View showing a portion of the lever, and the finger-piece detached therefrom.

An Underwood typewriting machine of the portable class is illustrated in-the drawing and includes the usual platen 4 rotatably mounted for line-spacing on a carriage4 5, the latter being movable laterally of the machine during typing and return. The carriage 5, in typing, is actuated by the usual drive-spring, the letter-space 'movement of the carriage being controlled by the usual carriage escapement mechanism. After 5 a line of typing has been completed, the return of the carriage is actuated manually, preferably by engaging a line-space and carriage-return lever 6. In normal typing, the platen is rotated in line-spacing, concomitantly with the Yactuation of the carriage in its return stroke, the lever 6 being operatively associated with the usual platen line-spacing mechanism, not shown.

The operation of the line-space and carriagereturn lever 6 to accomplish the dual functions is Well known and therefore a brief description will suce, to set forth theuse of the present invention. .The lever 6 is pivotally mounted on the carriage at I to swing in a horizontal plane, the lever being formed as a bell crank, an arm of which is flexibly connected at 8 to the usual linespacing mechanism. The latter mechanism limits the arc of travel of the lever 6 during which travel the platen 4 is rotated the desired line-spacing distance, and as the swinging of the lever 6 is stopped, further actuation of same effects the return movement of the carriage.

For convenient engagement ,by the fingers of the operator, the lever 46 carries at its free end a finger-piece 9, which is normally disposed'to project upwardly from the lever as shown in full lines in Figure 1, and isswingably mounted thereon to be moved into a retracted, substantially horizontal position as shown in dotted outline, when the typewriter is enclosed in its carrying case. A portion of the carrying case is shown in phantom at I0 holding the linger-piece retracted'. The finger-piece 9 is shaped to afford a, comfortable grip by the operator and has its free end directed angularly so that the fingerpiece9 in normal position, is cammed to swing downwardly as the cover of the carrying case I0 is lowered into position over the typewriter.

As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the lever 6 terminates at its free end in a tubular portion II having an axial bore I2 extending only partially therethrough so that the bore is closed at the bottom. The linger-piece 9 preferably includes a hub I3 of a size and peripheral contour similar to that of the tubular portion II so as to present a smooth unbroken contour and simulate a unitary structure.. 'I'he finger-piece 9 has a stubshaft I4 projecting from the hub I3 and preferably integral therewith, the shaft I4 being fitted to rotate without looseness in the bore I2.

The length or shape of the shaft Il in relation to the depth of the bore I2, is such as to afford space within the bore and preferably at the bottom thereof fora torsion spring I5. Spring I5 is preferably formed of a coil of wire having its respective free ends I6, Il, directed axially from the body of the spring, or is otherwise formed so as to impart rotation to the shaft I4 in the bore I2, in a direction to urge the finger-piece 9 to normal upright position. The spring-end Il is engaged in a recess I8 at the bottom of the bore I2 and the other spring-end I6 engages a recess I9 in the shaft I.' Thus, it willbe seen that the pre-formed spring may be inserted into thebore I2 during assembly, to be disposed in the bottom thereof with the spring-end I1 engaged in its recess I8, the spring-end I'I being preferably 'bent into resilient U form so as to frictionally grip the walls of the recess I8 and prevent unintentional dislodgment of the spring. The shaft I4 is then inserted into the bore, the nger-piece 9 being oriented inrelation to the lever 6, so as to align the recess I9 with the spring-end I6 to admit same as the shaft I4 is fully inserted into the bore I2, in which position the end of hub I3 adjacent the shaft III abuts the free end of the tubular portion II.

In order to retain the iinger-piece-shaft It in assembled relation, and provide a stop to define the normal upright position of the fingerpiece 9, the tubular portion II is slotted as at 20, the slot 20 being spaced from the free end so as to leave an end portion 2l thereon. The shaft It carries a stud 22 which projects radially from the shaft for cooperation with the slot 20. For convenience in assembly, the stud 22 `may take the form of a screw insertable into a tapped hole in the shaft I4, the head of the screw being tted to move freely the slot 20 in contact with the slot wall at the portion 2l. It is desired that the slot 20 be disposed in the underside of the lever-arm so as to be normally concealed from view. In the assembled article, the spring I5 yieldably maintains the finger piece 9 in its normal upright position at which the stud 22 engages a corresponding end of the slot 20, the spring I5 being preferably slightly tensioned at its initial setting. The length of slot 20 should be ample to permit the desired swing of the finger-piece 9, the stud 22 engaging the wall of slot 22 adjacent the portion ZI to hold the finger-piece in assembly on the lever, I

It will be seen from the foregoing that there is provided a novel organization of line-space and.' carriage-return lever, with a normally upright finger-piece swingably mounted thereon so as to be retractable downwardly for nesting within a carrying case, the combined lever and ngerpiece simulating a unitary structure, although the finger-piece is readily swingable to retracted position. It will also be seen that the fingerpiece is so organized with the lever as to present a smooth unbroken contour over the entire area of juncture as well as any surfaces-thereof likely to be manually engaged, to thus obviate any chance of injury or annoyance to the operator.

What is claimed as new is:

l. In a line-space mechanism for typewriters and the like, two members constituting a manually operable actuating lever and comprising an arm of the lever swingable in a horizontal plane and a finger-piece carried on the arm, said fingerpiece member being normally disposed upright for manual actuation of said lever in one direction and swingable in the opposite direction to or below horizontal position, means for swingably mounting said finger-piece member, including a shaft on one of said members, journaled in the other member, the other member having a closed ended bore journaling said shaft, a spring within the bore yieldably urging said finger-piece member to upright position, and a stud-and-slot device securing said members against relative axial movement and detenting said finger-piece at upright position.

2. In a line-space mechanism for typewriters and the like, a manually operable actuating lever including an arm swingable in a horizontal plane,l a finger-piece on said lever-arm in normally upright position for manual actuation of said lever in one direction and swingable in the opposite direction to or below horizontal position, said lever-arm including a tubular portion having a bore closed at one end, a shaft on said ngerpiece journaled in the bore, a spring within said bore yieldably urging said finger-piece to upright position, and a stud-and-slot ,device associated with said tubular portion and shaft to prevent axial movement of said shaft in the bore and detent said finger-piece at upright position.

3. In a line-space mechanism for typewriters and the like, a manually operable actuating lever including an arm swingable in a horizontal plane, a finger-piece on said lever-arm in normally upright position for manual actuation of said lever in one direction and swingable in the opposite direction to or below horizontal position, said lever-arm including a tubular portion having a bore closed at one end, a shaft on said fingerpiece journaled in the bore, a torsion spring operatively interposed between the closed end of the bore and the corresponding end of said shaft to urge said finger-piece to upright position and having a slidable engagement with said shaft to facilitate assembly, said tubular portion having a slot intermediate its ends, and a stud acting in the slot to prevent axial movement of said shaft in the bore and detent said finger-piece at upright position.

4. In a line-space mechanism for typewriters and the like, a manually operable actuating lever including an arm swingable in a horizontal plane, a finger-piece on said lever-arm in normally upright position for manual actuation of said lever in one direction and swingable in the opposite direction'ljfto or below horizontal position, said lever-arm including a'tubular portion having a bore closed at one end, a shaft on said ngerpiece journaled in the bore, a torsion spring operatively interposed between the closed end of the bore and the corresponding end of said shaft to urge said finger-piece to upright position, the respective ends of said spring being directed axially, for engaging corresponding recesses in the bore and shaft, said tubular portion having a slot, and a screw removably carried on said shaft, the head of said screw cooperating with the slot to prevent axial movement of said shaft in the bore and detent said finger-piece at upright position.

WILLIAM A. DOBSON. 

